FIREFIGHTERS were last night battling a blaze aboard a Russian fish
factory ship anchored off Lerwick in the Shetland Isles.
Nearly four hours after fire broke out on the 16,500-tonne
Chernomorskaya Slava, which has a crew of 162, thick smoke could still
be seen pouring from the ship.
Earlier, a major rescue operation was mounted to evacuate more than
100 crew members from the stricken vessel, which was lying in the
Bressay Sound, north-east of Lerwick.
The drama began shortly after 7pm when fire was reported in one of the
cargo holds containing around 100 tonnes of carboard boxes.
A spokesman at the RAF rescue centre at Pitreavie Castle in Fife said
later that there were no casualties.
''Attempts are still being made to bring the blaze under control,'' he
said at 11pm. ''More than 100 crew members have been taken off the
ship.''
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